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WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, Board of Education

Candidate website

Wants to upgrade school facilities, including using solar power in all schools, conducting ventilation audits, installing portable HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration, improving sidewalk safety, and forming more joint-use agreements with nearby schools.

Supports replacing HVAC systems in schools with repeated issues and being transparent about the timeline for repairs.

Plans to advocate for replacing all trailers in District 6 with additions to school buildings.

Opposes federal waivers for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Plans to develop a sustainability policy for the school system.

- Wants to upgrade school facilities, including using solar power in all schools, conducting ventilation audits, installing portable HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filtration, improving sidewalk safety, and forming more joint-use agreements with nearby schools.
- Supports replacing HVAC systems in schools with repeated issues and being transparent about the timeline for repairs.
- Plans to advocate for replacing all trailers in District 6 with additions to school buildings.
- Opposes federal waivers for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Plans to develop a sustainability policy for the school system.

School Facilities & Resources

Supports increased state funding for schools to meet constitutional obligations.

Supports setting high academic targets and removing barriers to success.

As a member of the BOE, Hershey supported a 5-year plan to reach high academic targets in county schools, including a 90% proficiency and a 98% graduation rate by 2028. 

Believes addressing bus driver shortages is crucial for reducing long routes and early pick-ups, which he says are "barriers to academic success."

Supports hiring and retention efforts for school bus drivers, including raising their salary to $20 an hour. 

Plans to reduce barriers to advanced learning opportunities for K-5 students.

Wants to reduce barriers to advanced learning opportunities for K-5 students.

Supports early childhood education and plans to expand alignment efforts between Pre-K and Kindergarten.

Supported an early learning alignment summit to help students transition from Pre-K and Kindergarten.

Believes improving communication with parents is crucial, focusing on the quality, frequency, and accessibility of information shared on county and school websites.

Wants to improve school communication with parents and the volume, frequency, and access to shared information on county and school websites.

- Supports increased state funding for schools to meet constitutional obligations.
- As a member of the BOE, Hershey supported a 5-year plan to reach high academic targets in county schools, including a 90% proficiency and a 98% graduation rate by 2028. 
- Supports hiring and retention efforts for school bus drivers, including raising their salary to $20 an hour. 
- Wants to reduce barriers to advanced learning opportunities for K-5 students.
- Supported an early learning alignment summit to help students transition from Pre-K and Kindergarten.
- Wants to improve school communication with parents and the volume, frequency, and access to shared information on county and school websites.

Access to Education

Supports pay raises and reinstating Advanced Degree Pay for teachers.

Supported school board pay raises and Advanced Degree Pay for teachers being reinstated. 

Wants to raise teacher salaries and allot for funding for Instructional Assistants and school support staff.

- Supported school board pay raises and Advanced Degree Pay for teachers being reinstated. 
- Wants to raise teacher salaries and allot for funding for Instructional Assistants and school support staff.

Teachers

Believes "CRT- This is not being taught in grades K-12."

Said critical race theory is not being taught in K-12 schools. 

Supports parental involvement in school curriculum by allowing parents to review syllabuses, opt their children out of assignments, and see completed work.

Supports informing parents of school syllabuses and the curriculum, allowing parents to opt their children out of assignments and view completed work.

- Opposes banning books in schools.
- Said critical race theory is not being taught in K-12 schools. 
- Supports informing parents of school syllabuses and the curriculum, allowing parents to opt their children out of assignments and view completed work.

School Curriculum

Supports yearlong anti-bullying messaging in schools.

Supports yearlong messaging of the harmful effects of bullying. 

Believes the school lockdown notification zone should be expanded to enhance safety measures in response to school tragedies.

Wants to expand the zone of schools that are notified when one is in lockdown. 

Opposes "arming teachers" and creating "prison-like complexes" around schools.

Opposes arming teachers with weapons and creating "prison-like complexes" around schools.

Supports School Resource Officers (SROs) in middle and high schools.

Supports School Resource Officers in middle and high schools.

Believes support staff should be full-time in every school to better serve students.

Believes support staff should work full-time in all schools to better serve students.

- Supports yearlong messaging of the harmful effects of bullying. 
- Wants to expand the zone of schools that are notified when one is in lockdown. 
- Opposes arming teachers with weapons and creating "prison-like complexes" around schools.
- Supports School Resource Officers in middle and high schools.
- Believes support staff should work full-time in all schools to better serve students.

Student Wellbeing

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Sam Hershey

Ballotpedia, Josh Points

As of July 31, 2024, Josh Points’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports making teacher and essential staff pay the top budgetary priority.

Supports making teacher and essential staff pay the top budgetary priority. Wants to create bonus pay for teachers based on student proficiency.

- Supports making teacher and essential staff pay the top budgetary priority. Wants to create bonus pay for teachers based on student proficiency.

Believes the educational system is failing, noting that "35% of the kids cannot do the basics as it relates to Math and English," and supports improving student outcomes.

Believes improving student outcomes is the top priority, noting that "35% of the kids cannot do the basics as it relates to Math and English" according to local test results.

- Believes improving student outcomes is the top priority, noting that "35% of the kids cannot do the basics as it relates to Math and English" according to local test results.

Believes student performance should guide educational leaders, saying, "Parents innately dream of better lives for their kids which starts with education."

Wants to empower parents. Believes that education helps kids have better lives that parents want for them and that "parents have dominion over their child."

Believes schools should be apolitical and support policies based on birth certificate gender.

Supports policies based on birth certificate gender, calling this "a-political" and "impartial".

- Wants to empower parents. Believes that education helps kids have better lives that parents want for them and that "parents have dominion over their child."
- Supports policies based on birth certificate gender, calling this "a-political" and "impartial".

Josh Points

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 